Chapter 136

FELIX

I had to sit with that knowledge for a long time. At the end of the day, yes, the curse had been cast and that had doomed me and Mila over and over again, but my own actions–and the actions of my past selves–had devastated each and every version of Mila.

The past versions of myself were as much to blame for this destruction as Mila’s. It would only be from our reconciliation in the present that all could be fixed.

As I stared at those pages, reading details of our past lives, my heart broke for the poor youth of the past. I may have been the first prince born with an explicit understanding of the Destined Bride curse, but I was not the first to face unimaginable pressure from his own family.

Indeed, as I perused the history of my soul, I was struck by how eerily similar all our situations were. My reign was not the first time Fresonia seemed to be on the brink of extinction–my ancestors were just better at hiding it.

Curiously enough, as I continued reading about the past lives, something kept sticking out to me about that very first King of Fresonia. This book did not speak much of his actual reign and policy, mainly looking at the way his love for Sofia affected his early life.

But I was curious to learn more about the origins of magic in the kingdoms. Surely there was more information somewhere about the binding spell Samuel and Sofia had cast in those earlier days.

Although reading about our past lives had sparked memories in my head, they were still blurry, just bits and pieces of images from long ago. My memories had not quite come into focus yet, and I knew that there were still things I needed to discover from my past selves.

If I could gather all the facts about the original role of magic when my kingdom first started, perhaps then I could figure out what I needed to restore.

I had a sneaking suspicion that it was even more widespread than I originally thought. Once I heard back from Isla and Joseph, then I would finally be able to learn the truth about my people.

I put Mila’s book down and started my exploration of the library once again.

There were books here older than Fresonia itself. The shelves were made from a dark wood I couldn't quite place–maybe pine, maybe chestnut. Despite the fact that no one had been in here for a thousand years (excluding, of course, Charles and Mila) there was not a speck of dust anywhere.

It felt as if the entire library had been holding its breath for centuries.

I wondered what Sofia must have thought when she created the library. Did she know how long it would be before anyone discovered it again? Did she know that all of her life’s work would remain a secret for many, many lifetimes?

I dreamed of a better Fresonia, one where magic did not have to be a secret and dragons could roam freely. One where I could live happily with my wife, and the citizens of the kingdom did not hate my guts.

I believed that such a world was possible, I just needed proof.

Samuel must have had the same dreams I did, if he was willing to do so much work to create the kingdom in the first place. I just needed some sort of personal record–journals, letters, firsthand accounts, anything about his policies to help me understand my kingdom better.

I felt that tug in my gut again, guiding me towards the far side of the library from where I was standing. As I walked towards the opposite stone wall, that feeling grew stronger, until I saw a small, blue book nestled onto one of the shelves.

It seemed even older than the other books around it, a feat that seemed near impossible until I picked it up. The pages crackled under my fingers, and I smoothed out the soft velvet on the cover to read the title.

The Personal Diaries of King Samuel I of Fresonia

I nearly dropped the book in shock.

So Samuel’s diaries had been preserved. Perhaps here were the answers I was looking for, the truth about what was going on inside his head all those years ago.

I turned to the first page and began to read.

The first half of the book was mainly about the day-to-day life of the early days of the kingdoms. Samuel faced an enormous amount of pressure as the eldest son of a power landowner, and yearned for a better future for all.

It was only a few pages in that I saw the first mention of dragons.

Samuel discussed his dragon, Firestorm, casually, as if it was no big deal to have such a beast at his disposal. I was intrigued by this. Dragons seemed more of an indicator of class than anything else, meaning that they were commonplace enough that someone wouldn’t be surprised to see one flying overhead.

When had they become such a secret?

A little over halfway through the book was the first mention of Sofia. Plain as day, Samuel talked about not only his deep, undying love for her, but also her incredible use of magic. He seemed as impressed by her skills and brain as he was by her looks and beauty–just as I was with Mila.

And there it was–about three-quarters of the way through the book–just what I was looking for.

Sofia and I have bound the magic of the land to our love. We know that our bond is true and everlasting and will keep the magic in this region safe for centuries. So long as our love survives, so will the magic. I am still in disbelief that I found a woman such as her. She is truly my soulmate in every sense of the word.

The binding spell was simple. Sofia said it was merely an extension of our wedding vows. This is the best path forward to keep my kingdom, my people, and my wife safe.

But then, a few pages later, came the shocking, awful turn.

Sofia is dead. I will spend the next thousand lifetimes trying to find her again.

Little did he know just how true that was.

A few pages later, another paragraph caught my eye, one that sent me reeling:

After Sofia’s death, magic has vanished from most of the kingdom. The Dragon Knight line remains strong, but has now been reduced to a few noble and royal families throughout the kingdoms. It appears that the memory of magic has disappeared along with its actual presence.

I am not quite sure what to do. My advisors tell me to pretend that all is normal, to never acknowledge magic in the same breath as Fresonia again. But my people lost their magic in the same instant that I lost my love. It is not fair to either of us to live without that forever.

At the very least, I want to tell the kingdom bits and pieces of the truth, although it is against the better judgment of all of my court.

I want to tell my people the truth about the dragons.